Mission OUTREACH MINISTRY

Angel Tree (Prison Ministry)

Contact: Gita Pippin

"Hope and connection—in prison and out."

Incarceration can strain family ties to the breaking point. Prison Fellowship Angel Tree provides an opportunity for local congregations to extend the hope of the Gospel and enfold Angel Tree families into church life through delivering Christmas gifts on behalf of incarcerated parents, sending kids to summer camp, facilitating one-day sports camps, and more.

Each Christmas season at FPC, the congregation is encouraged to pick a wish list item card or two, returning the item for inclusion in the program.

Arise Campus Ministry GMU

Contact: Kirsten Sihlanick

At Arise, we hope to be a Christian Community where we love ALL, no buts included. We work primarily with George Mason students, but also have NOVA Community College students in our community. We encourage students to explore faith and discover grace.  Rooted in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal, Presbyterian (USA), United Church of Christ, United Methodist traditions, and coming together to journey in their faith with individuals of many other backgrounds as well.  Led by Rev. Andrew Ensz and Emilee Williams, the students ask questions about faith, connect with others, and find ways to live out of God’s unconditional love. Arise is a ministry of United College Ministries of Northern Virginia.

FPC supports the program with an annual donation and volunteer support as well as hosting college students who attend worship on Sundays, supporting Fall and Spring food drives for the GMU Patriot Pantry and inviting church members to purchase items off their wish list. Additionally, FPC hosts a college-student-run worship service annually.

CROP Hunger Walk (Burke-Fairfax)

Contact: VACANT

CROP walks are community-based events held in cities and towns across the United States. The Burke-Fairfax Walk is one of over 1,400 CROP Hunger Walks held each year as part of a nationwide effort to raise money and awareness for hunger relief. It’s sponsored by Church World Service, a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster.

Walkers and their sponsors help to provide food and water, as well as resources that empower people to meet their own needs—from seeds and tools, to wells and water systems, to technical training and micro-enterprise loans. Each local CROP Hunger Walk also supports its own community by giving back 25 percent of the funds raised to local hunger-fighting programs.

In the past 24 years, more than 5,900 Burke CROP Walkers raised over $450,000 to relieve hunger globally through Church World Service, and over $102,200 to help hungry people in our own community.

A team of youth and adults participate in the walk each year. Although in 2020, CROP Walk went virtual, they continued to raise money through its community participants’ donations. In 2021 CROP Walk was suspended as a community event, but FPC hosted a church event. CROP Walk is scheduled to resume in November 2022.

FACETS Hot Meals

Contact: Diana Carlson

The FACETS Hot Meals program serves hot food to the Fairfax community every night—365 days a year—and twice on Sundays. Our church provides meals twice a month. We meet in the afternoon to cook our Thyme Beef Veggie Stew and assemble bags of bread, fruit leather, fig newtons and some soul-refreshing dark chocolate. The meals are picked up later in the day to be distributed. Our Hot Meals team continued throughout the pandemic and is still going strong!

We meet on the 1st and 3rd Mondays from 2:30–3:30 in the kitchen.

FACETS Hypothermia Prevention and Response Program (HPRP)

Contacts: Dillon Taylor and Leslie Woods, Co-Leaders

FPC has been a mission partner along with other faith communities for the HPRP program since its onset in 2005, ensuring that no one has to sleep outside during the winter months. Each year for one week, our church opens its doors to welcome our most vulnerable neighbors, providing a warm, safe space to sleep, and serving nutritious hot meals and hospitality. The program season begins in December and runs through late-March/early-April.

FPC has plans to host in March of 2023. This is an annual church-wide mission event, which relies on the active participation of many members to ensure its success.

Fairfax FISH

Contact: Serena Mercer

FISH "For Immediate Sympathetic Help" is a volunteer, non-profit ecumenical outreach organization founded in 1967, which comprises 14 churches located in Fairfax County in the vicinity of Fairfax City, Virginia. FPC has been a partner church since the organization was founded.

FISH provides funds and volunteers to serve the needy and elderly in the greater Fairfax City area of Fairfax County by assisting with life’s necessities. Requests for eligible neighbors needing assistance are passed on to FISH by the Office of Coordinated Services Planning "CSP," which is part of the Fairfax County Department of Human Services. Pastors from member churches may also make referrals. There are monetary limits for different categories of assistance based on available funds and FISH sets aside funds for clients outside of the FISH service area.

Fairfax Presbyterian Church provides financial support as well as time and goods. We continue to need substitutes and volunteer captains and drivers. Each volunteer serves 4 hours per month.

FISH Clothing Closet

FISH "For Immediate Sympathetic Help" is a volunteer, non-profit ecumenical outreach organization founded in 1967, which comprises 14 churches located in Fairfax County in the vicinity of Fairfax City, Virginia. FPC has been a partner church since the organization was founded.

FPC houses the walk-in FISH Clothing Closet, supported by member and community donations. No referrel is necessary to use the Clothing Closet.

The clothing closet hours are every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 am to 12 noon and the first Saturday of each month from 9:30 am to 12 noon.

Donations of in-season clean, new, or gently used clothing are welcomed during these same hours.

FISH Food Pantry

FISH "For Immediate Sympathetic Help" is a volunteer, non-profit ecumenical outreach organization founded in 1967, which comprises 14 churches located in Fairfax County in the vicinity of Fairfax City, Virginia. FPC has been a partner church since the organization was founded.

FPC houses one of the FISH food pantries, supported through FPC member food and financial donations. The pantry holds diapers as well as non-perishable foods such as pasta, rice, soup, dried and canned beans, canned vegetables and fruits, cereal, tinned meat, and more.

The food pantry is available for walk-ins during church office business hours, and FISH drivers also use the pantry to fill bags to deliver to those in need.

Little Free Pantries

Contacts: Michelle Coon and Tracey Moss

When COVID necessitated the closing of our church building, including our FISH Food Pantry, our church’s usual emergency hunger response option evaporated. Thanks to the vision and generosity of Susan Wisseman, our Parish Associate, two Little Free Pantries were set up in front of our church to help serve our neighbors in need. A group of church members and neighbors has faithfully provided food staples throughout this period by regularly refilling the pantries when the stocks needed replenishment. This mission has continued to be primarily self-sustaining. When the church building reopened, we were able to establish a back-up system—using extra donations dropped off inside the church, and by purchasing extra supplies with money donated to our hunger programs.

MOM is very grateful to our FPC community for the generous donations of non-perishables directly into our pantries, as well as through financial donations to our hunger programs. As a result, we have been able to keep the pantries stocked throughout this period of high need.

Sewing Group

Contact: Lynne Thompson

We are a fellowship and service group that helps others in our church, community, and internationally by using our sewing talents to aid special groups with unique needs. We do easy projects suitable for beginners, and welcome non-sewers who can take apart, press, cutting out, and pin projects. Some of the programs we support are:

• Sew Much Comfort, which supplies wounded warriors with adapted uniforms or other clothing.
• Boulder Crest Retreat at Bluemont, Virginia: We have provided tote bags, blank banners for art therapy workshops, lap quilts, plus toiletry kits for female soldier retreats.
• The Lullaby Project: We have been making blankets or small receiving blankets which are being used by The Lullaby Project.
• Ryan’s Case for Smiles: Pillowcases are made to cheer and delight young cancer patients.
• Gabriel Project: We provide maternity tops.

The Sewing Group meets on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Monday of the month from 10:00–3:00, in the Multi-Purpose Room.

Glebe View

Contact: Peg Blomme

The Mission Outreach Ministry formed this team to plan and implement the initiative to build affordable housing on FPC’s property. All FPC members are invited to participate in this exciting neighborhood mission project. We are especially in need of people talented in the art of communication—all communication!  Facebook, website, Twitter, face-to-face, print, etc.

The Glebe Team currently meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:30 PM in a hybrid format. The in-person meeting location is the Multi-Purpose room.

Learn more about the Glebe View affordable housing team.

Green Team

Contact: Sara Bowden

The Green Team meets on the 3rd Monday of each month to learn about issues impacting God’s creation and discuss how our church can be more environmentally friendly. MOM partners with other FPC ministries in support of the Green Team vision.

In February 2021, FPC was certified as an Earth Care Congregation by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Earth Care Congregation certification recognizes churches that make the commitment to take seriously God’s charge to “till and keep” the garden. “Earth Care Congregations are congregations that have committed to the ‘Earth Care Pledge’ and accomplished a specific number of actions toward caring for God’s earth in four categories: worship, education, facilities, and outreach."

Learn more about the Green Team.

The Lamb Center

Contact: Mike Mulvihill

The Lamb Center is a daytime drop‐in homeless shelter for individuals who are experiencing homelessness in Fairfax, Virginia. They provide breakfast, lunch, showers, laundry service, Bible studies, employment opportunities, housing and job counseling, AA meetings, a nurse practitioner clinic, a dental clinic, and much more. Their emphasis is on providing a community of fellowship, support, empowerment, and learning together.

FPC holds supply drives for the Lamb Center and provides financial support each year.

Main Street Child Development Center (MSCD)

Contact: Vacant

For over 45 years, Main Street has offered high quality, early childhood education to Fairfax families, most of whom are from low-income households. Experienced teachers and expert staff work with 125 two–five-year-olds a year, using a range of assessments, tools, and developmentally appropriate curricula. With a licensed clinical social worker and Fairfax County Public Schools special education teacher on site, students struggling with chronic stress, behavioral challenges, language and developmental delays get specialized care. All are screened for vision, hearing, and language challenges (and receive glasses and speech therapy if needed). Before-school, after-school, and summer programs for 25 elementary age children keep graduates on track. Parenting workshops, nutrition classes and special events build social bonds to ensure the goal of preparing parents and kids for a better future.

FPC has been a mission partner for MSCDC for several decades, providing regular financial support, as well as in-kind donations including cupcakes for all students’ birthdays, Christmas gift wrapping, holiday appreciation party for the staff, and sewing requests.

Men y Mujeres on a Mission (MMM)

Contact: Henry Brinton

In 2018, after 14 years, Midlife Men on a Mission (MMM) became a co-ed mission opportunity at Fairfax Presbyterian Church. In doing so the mission group changed its name to reflect this decision: it is now Men y Mujeres on a Mission.

Our mission is to:

• Support the Youth For Christ Camp in their mission work, through construction and maintenance of the facility,
• Provide medicines and medical supplies to Blessings International and Manos Amigas Clinic, and
• Collect donations of schools uniforms for the children of Honduras; children are not allowed to attend school unless they have a uniform.

Everyone is welcome to support us in this important work. Contact Pastor Henry Brinton for more information about joining us on our mission trip or making other contributions.

Operation First Response (OFR)

Contact: Frances Larsen

Operation First Response is a nonprofit charity that delivers backpacks full of supplies to combat hospitals or remote bases. FPC has been involved with OFR since 2005. Prior to the pandemic we met every month to pack hygiene kits for military overseas.

Consider taking a card from the red OFR basket in the Narthex and writing a note of support to be included in a kit. In addition, unused travel-sized items are always needed, and may be left in the OFR basket. OFR is currently assembling kits remotely.

Purly Gators

Contact: Marilyn Cromartie

Purly Gators is a ministry who knits and crochets prayer shawls for those needing an extra hug. Over the past seven years, we have knitted over 40 prayer shawls, blessed them and given them to FPC members and friends. We welcome experienced knitters and will also teach beginners! We knit and crochet for many projects including making prayer shawls and lap robes for people who experiencing a rough time in their life, making hats and scarves for our hypothermia guests, making Cancer Kickin' Critters for children and making lap blankets for Kelly’s Angels.

We meet the 4th Tuesday of the month from 10–12 in the Parlor.

Rebuilding Together

Contacts: Kevin Strickler and Sal Sparacino

FPC has been a mission partner with Rebuilding Together for many years. We provide regular financial support, and also participate in the National Rebuilding Day that is the signature event of Rebuilding Together through in-kind donations and volunteer support. Additionally, FPC also hosts our local chapter of Rebuilding Together—providing office space so that RT can help our neighbors.

Rebuilding Together teams make essential repairs to help our neighbors stay in their homes, working to preserve affordable home ownership. Every year on the last Saturday of April, volunteers with 166 Rebuilding Together affiliates repair and restore homes and non-profit facilities. They also bring national attention to the plight of America’s low-income homeowners and the communities in which they live. In April of 2022, we were able to resume our workday.

Serving at the Crossroads

Contact: Bobbi Hess

FPC has served as a mission partner with Serving at the Crossroads—providing regular financial support as well as in-country volunteer support. The founders of Serving at the Crossroads, which included Dr. Robert Sumner, father of FPC member Bobbi Hess, knew that the non-profit model of swooping into an under-served area and “fixing” everything wouldn’t work for long-term sustainability and improving quality of life. Therefore, to enable local people to help themselves, SATC embraced the philosophy of aid, inform, and empower as their model. As a result of their vision, the Manos Amigas Clinic was established and now faithfully serves the communities of Northwestern Honduras, providing medical, dental, vision, and wound care, as well as pharmaceuticals.

Along with many other faith partners, FPC helps to provide the necessary equipment, medication, supplies, and healthcare specialists to care for those in the community who otherwise could not afford treatment. Over the years, several FPC members have volunteered to serve onsite for week-long brigades to help the teams provide specialized care.

Shepherd's Center of Fairfax-Burke (SCFB)

Contact: Vacant

“Helping Older Adults Live a Life that Matters”

The Shepherd’s Center of Fairfax-Burke is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that helps older adults continue to live independently in their own homes and has been serving the area since 2006. A variety of support services and enrichment programs are provided by trained volunteers.

Our Vision: Shepherd's Center of Fairfax-Burke envisions a community where all older adults receive the support they need to continue to live independently, with purpose and dignity.

Mission Statement: It is our mission to support and enrich the lives of older adults in the Fairfax-Burke & South County communities and empower them to use their wisdom and skills for the good of their peers in the community.

Shepherd's Center of Fairfax-Burke serves hundreds of older adults with free transportation to medical appointments and food access. Volunteers also make minor home repairs, calls to isolated older adults, organize exercise classes and enrichment activities.

FPC is a sponsoring organization.

Social Justice Group / Homestretch

Contact: Jerry Hopkins

“We are building a better world through education.”

For more than 30 years Homestretch has helped homeless families in Virginia become self-sufficient by giving them the skills, knowledge and hope they need to become productive participants in the community.

We have two major goals. The first is to lead FPC in assisting the family that our congregation has connected with through Homestretch Sacred Homes. The second is to learn more about national immigration issues and engage in activities to influence the public policy of local governments concerning the treatment of undocumented immigrants.